Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Product Description:
Fair Trade Certified & Organic Black Tea
This lowland tea known for its rich aroma and strong, malty flavor is named after its origin, Assam, in North-East India. Our Strong Assam tea is cultivated at the famous Rembeng Estate, a 100% organic tea garden and the pioneering organic estate in the region, making their teas highly sought after. Dark and copper-colored, it is a full-bodied broken leaf black tea that is great for lovers of a strong morning cup of tea. The rich flavors are accentuated by adding milk and sugar.
Taster’s Review:
W0w! When they say strong, they mean STRONG! This is one seriously bold, in-your-face Assam!
This is a bold and robust tea, but, there is a lot more going on than just mere strength. It has such a lovely complexity to it. There are delicious undertones of sweetness that remind me of caramelized fruit. This is a note that comes through on the aroma, and carries through to the sip: when I first inhaled the fragrance, I could smell the distinctive caramel scent, and then upon tasting – DELICIOUS!
There are also hints of fruit and spice, as well as a very malty quality to this tea – the combination of the malt and caramel is quite yummy. This combination is further enhanced with a splash of milk as it lends a creaminess to the malt and caramel.
I recommend careful steeping parameters with this one. You don’t need to use a little extra leaf because this tea is plenty strong without it, in fact, you might find that it’s too strong with extra leaf. So I recommend using just 1 teaspoon for your first tasting, and then experimenting to find your perfect cuppa. Also, watch your timer carefully! 2 1/2 minutes is the perfect time for this tea (at least, for me!) but don’t go over 3 minutes for your first tasting, as it will become bitter.
This is delicious hot or iced, but I prefer it hot, it is a delightful “cold, foggy morning” kind of tea! It helps you clear the fog in your head after a not-so-great night’s sleep (or even if you’ve had a good one!) If you’d rather head back to bed, but can’t because you’ve got to “seize the day” – this tea will get you headed in that direction! This tea has got bite to it, so if you need to soften that edge, a little drizzle of agave nectar will do the trick.
An excellent Assam!
